Release: February 1st 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Walker Books
Source: Amazon
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N
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When witches kidnap her dad, Mup is swept up in a wild tide of magic that carries her to another world. Can she reunite her family and find her way back?
On the night that Aunty dies, the raggedy witches come for Mup’s family. Pale, cold, and relentless, the witches will do anything for the tyrannical queen who has outlawed most magic and enforces her laws with terror and cruelty — and who happens to be Mup’s grandmother. When witches carry off her dad, Mup and her mam leave the mundane world to rescue him. But everything is odd in the strange, glittering Witches Borough, even Mam. Even Mup herself.
In a world of rhyming crows, talking cats, and golden forests, it’s all Mup can do to keep her wits about her. And even if she can save her dad, Mup’s not sure if anything will ever be the same again. First in a new trilogy by Irish author Celine Kiernan, this tale of family and forbidden magic charts a fresh path through the landscape of beloved fantasy tradition — and promises to bewitch any reader in search of stories to love.
About the Author:
Moreover, Celine’s fourth novel, Into the Grey (aka Taken Away) won the 2012 CBI Book of the Year and the CBI Children’s Choice Award. It is the first book to have won both categories. It won the RAI Book of the Year 2013, and was on shortlist for the Sakura Medal 2014. In 2013 the Irish Times named it as one of the best children’s books of the past 25 years.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, 1967, Celine has spent the majority of her working life in the film business. And her career as a classical feature character animator spanned over seventeen years, before she became a full-time writer. .
Begone the Raggedy Witches Review:
“Begone the Raggedy Witches” is a dynamic middle-grade fantasy with magical crows, witches, and ghosts, and I enjoyed reading it!
There is just so much happening in the story as soon as Mup finds herself in the new Land. The author never has a dull moment as something exciting happens in each chapter. Moreover, I adored the way the author wrote the family dynamics. In the book, Mup’s grandmother is the Queen who wants to control everything like a tyrant. Meanwhile, Mup’s aunty also wants to control but for different reasons. The way Mup deals with the various members of her family, who all have different ideologies, was one of the story’s highlights.
Mup is fantastic in the lead. She is strong, brave, and always tries to do the right thing. The author writes the relationship and support between the characters so nicely. I loved the bond the Mup has with Tipper, Badger, and Crow. They stand by each other as they go on their quest in search of Mup’s father. I adored most of these characters, even the ones like Sealgaire.
However, my only criticism of the tale is the initial pages. The author dives right into the storyline before we even get to know the characters correctly. Initially, I felt as though there was too much to take in. However, once Mup finds herself in the new Land of Witches.
Apart from that, I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. The book also ends in a cliffhanger that makes you want to read the next book in the series. Overall, “Begone the Raggedy Witches” is a great story to pick up if you are in the mood for a middle-grade fantasy adventure with supernatural elements.
